NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Gerald and Susan Kresa’s graded stakes winner King Kreesa (King Cugat), on the bench since December 8 when he set the pace in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile on December 8 at Sha Tin before fading to twelfth, made a triumphant return to the races in the $150,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank, leading the field from the bell and gamely fending off a challenge in the final furlong from runner-up Lubash.
The five-year-old, who had previously hit the board in 12 of 17 turf starts, including a victory in the Grade 3 Poker while earning more than $650,000 from the barn of trainer Jeremiah Englehart, made his first start for trainer David Donk in the West Point. He did, however, retain the services of jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who had been aboard the 5–year-old King Kreesa for the majority of his career starts.
Breaking on top from post three in a field reduced to five by the scratches of Sir Leslie (main track only) and Hangover Kid, the winner of last year’s West Point, King Kreesa maintained a comfortable one-length advantage over Lubash through a half-mile in 49.71.
Maintaining his lead down the backstretch and around the far turn, and picking up the tempo as he went, King Kreesa was faced with a serious challenge mounted by Lubash in the stretch.
Lubash drew even with about a furlong to go, but King Kreesa dug in bravely and simply refused to let his rival pass, winning by a brave head. Notacatbutallama rounded out the trifecta, a length behind runner-up Lubash, followed across the line by Barrel of Love and Street Game. The final time for 1 1/16 over the inner Saratoga turf course labelled “good” was 1:42.07. [VIDEO]
Irad Ortiz, Jr. said, “I get along with him. I always ride him, and he’s a fighter. He kept fighting at the end; that’s why we got the victory. I bring a lot of confidence; I give him a chance to win. The trainer did a good job; he was ready.”
Donk felt that King Kreesa’s class helped overcome any liability after the long break. Said Donk, “It was a long layoff, and I didn’t have him, maybe, as ready as I’d liked to, but I was running out of time. The season is running short. One of Woody [Stephens’] quotes was, ‘A good horse overcomes all trainers’ and riders’ mistakes.’ He’s a really good horse. He was a really good horse with Jeremiah [Englehart]; he did a great job with him. I’m just fortunate to be standing here [in the winner’s circle].”
Donk also addressed the fact that King Kreesa raced with bar shoe on his right front foot. “I’ve never run a horse in a bar shoe, so I’m 1-for-1. He trained so well in it, so I was afraid to take it off. The foot still needs a lot of growth to be fully recovered, so it’s not going to be 100 percent until next year. It will stay on for now.”
King Kreesa, has now complied a record of seven wins, four seconds and two thirds from 19 starts and has earned, $747,370. He has won six stakes races — the Grade 3 Poker, open London Company, three New York-bred stakes and a division of the New York Stallion Stakes series — and placed in five more, including a second in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap and a second to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga last summer.
Bred by Gerald Kresa under the banner of Horse Partners, King Kreesa was foaled at Carlland Stables in Avon. He is the most successful of four winners out of Storm’s Advance, a Florida-bred daughter of Storm Creek who was a multiple winner and stakes-placed on turf ($94,652). Sophomore Lady Kreesa, by Stonesider, has placed in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes series.
Storm’s Advance currently has a 2-year-old colt by Malibu Moonshine named Moonsurge.
King Kreesa’s sire King Cugat, a multiple Grade 2-winner and millionaire by Kingmambo, stood in New York in 2008 and 2009 under the management of Questroyal Stud.
